Dernier: The Last (BEING REWRITTEN)
by RecursiveDestroyer
Summary: Alistair Dernier took over her parent's corporation and has a major issue come up. She thinks the end is near for her life-long dream, but the rather handsome CEO of KaibaCorp offers up a place within his own company, effectively saving both. Alistair struggles as she works beside him, fighting down feelings that arise. Business is just business, right? Can love be involved?
1. Chapter 1: A Wild Offer Accepted

**Chapter One: A Wild Offer Accepted (2,784 Words)**

 _Alistair Christena stared her parents into the ground with a carefully guarded expression after they had told her the news. They had just disowned her from the family. "Why?" she asked softly, attempting to reign in her silent but brewing anger. "Why disown me from the family? I'm your own daughter! Is it because I'm aspiring to do greater things than you?" Her voice was unnaturally calm and held little tone, but her tensed muscles gave away her true feelings._

" _Alistair, you are going to-" her Mother began, but she effectively cut her off with more than just a heated yet icy glare._

" _Run the company into the ground? No, Mother, it is I who is going to bring the company up from the brink of destruction!" She swung her hand to the side as if the motion would help emphasize her point. Her anger was getting the best of her again. "You are sadly mistaken if you think that disowning me will stop me from taking Christena Corporation right from beneath your feet! It will be like stealing candy from a baby."_

" _You are too corrupt-" She cut her father off this time._

" _You are the ones who are corrupt, and the world will hear of it!" With that final statement, Alistair turned towards the massive front doors she had been standing in front of, pushed them open with practiced ease, and stormed outside to her waiting vehicle. She pulled open the black SUV's driver door and shoved the keys into the ignition. Her anger was about to get out of hand. She knew that it was best to leave her parent's estate immediately, and she knew that this would be her last time leaving._

 _She took a deep breath before driving away, leaving nothing but a wave of dust from the spinning tires before they got traction and disappointed parents. Or at least used-to-be parents._

Alistair blinked slowly as her mind refocused on the desk in front of her. Her mind was foggy from the sleep-like state she had just been in. Her ocean blue eyes looked towards the glass office door as three, perfectly timed knocks rang about. Seeing as it was only Justine, she quickly waved the secretary in.

"So sorry to disturb you, Miss Dernier, but I've received news from the gaming corporation who we are about to join with." Justine's small, well-manicured hands held an enveloped letter. Her violet eyes watched her boss carefully.

"Bring it here," Alistair said softly with another motion of her hand. The secretary shuffled forward quietly. The dark grey carpet that clothed the floor from wall to wall made her usually loud footfalls nearly quiet, and the light gray walls made her long, raven black hair look darker than it truly was.

Once the letter was in her hand, Alistair wasted no time in opening it with a nearby knife. She preferred using the small weapon over the overly expensive letter openers that Justine was found of using. Her eyes quickly scanned over the contents.

When Alistair's face morphed into a scowl, Justine knew it was time to leave her boss to roast silently in hot rage. Justine's four years at Dernier Corporation gave her plenty of opportunities to experience Alistair's wrath. She had almost been fired numerous times over. Many of the staff members were so afraid of it, they didn't even come onto the top floor to meet with their boss anymore. Although, Justine had to give Alistair credit for learning patience, even if it were only a miniscule amount.

"I take my leave of you," Justine whispered with a slight bow before quickly moving towards the door. She gave God a quick thank-you in prayer before sliding back into her desk chair. She was glad that her boss held her temper in while she escaped into the waiting hall's safety.

Justine shook her head before straightening her dark purple, knee-length dress and returned to typing on her computer. She could tell that the day was going to be long, and it was only nine o'clock in the morning.

When the door clicked shut, Alistair let a low growl escape her throat. Her eyes blazed with fiery rage, and she gritted her teeth as she reread the letter. It didn't help that it was written the most awful penmanship ever in her opinion. Pegasus had always been a _flirtatious_ man to put it lightly.

 **Alistair Dernier,**

 **Illusionist Games is sad to say that we don't believe that our contract with Dernier Corp is going to be beneficial to either of us. I sincerely hope that we can still be friends.**

 **Yours truly,**

 **Pegasus Maximillion 3**

Alistair angrily tore the paper in half and threw the pieces about the room. " _Friends my ass!"_ she thought darkly. She fought to keep the vile things she could do with Pegasus' company and life out of her mind. Killing the man would not rectify the situation her company was currently in.

Enraged at the failure the Game Development Team had shown her, she fired them all on the spot. That was approximately two months ago. Her pride wouldn't allow her to hire them back, no matter how dire things became.

She rested her elbows on her elegant pine desk and placed her head in her hands. Her unkempt shoulder-length, blonde hair fell from its normal upright position as she did so. Gaming was big now-a-days. Dernier Corp specialized in anything and everything but not gaming. It would only be a matter of weeks, maybe days now with how her staff gossiped, before anyone found out how, and more importantly why, the once all-powerful corporation was slowly fading away like a burning out candle.

She was beginning to lose her grip on the entire situation. She thought back to the adults who she still, although ruefully, considered her parents. They said she was going to kill the company, and she would never admit that they were probably right.

" _No,"_ she thought as she closed her eyes. Tears threatened to fall at the thought of losing everything she had worked so hard for. " _I finally have the thing I've strived for within my reach. There is no friggin' way that I'm going to let it slip away so easily. Alistair Dernier is many things but a quitter is not one of them!"_

Another set of three knocks, more gentle and hesitant than the first time, brought her attention from within her own thoughts to the door once again. The glass wall allowed her to see Justine with a tall, quite imposing man standing behind her. He was wearing a very expensive looking suit from her viewpoint, and he looked annoying, high-strung, and impatient. Perfect, another aristocratic noble business man to deal with. This is _exactly_ what the doctor ordered.

She waved them in without a second thought and took a breath to relax herself. Yelling at the man right away was not going to solve anything. Like all others before, she would listen to what he had to say before either shutting him down, agreeing with him, or completely cursing him out. It would probably be the last, especially in her current mood. She was practically bathing in rage, and she knew that it was coming off her body in heated waves.

As Justine held the door open for the man, Alistair saw that he held a brown leather briefcase. It caused a small smirk to appear on her lips. It was rare to see one of the older ways of paper transport being used by such a young, very attractive, looking man. Maybe she judged him too harshly? Eh, probably not.

She waved to one of the two grey upholstered chairs that sat in front of her desk, and he sat immediately, lowering his briefcase to his lap. "If that is all, Justine?" Alistair asked quietly when she saw the nervous, pleading look on the girl's face.

At her boss's words, Justine closed the door behind her as she exited. She retreated to her desk for the second time that day. No doubt a headache was forming in her head, if one wasn't there already.

Alistair turned her attention to the man who sat in front of her with her hands beneath her chin. She assessed him quietly, and by the way his muscles slightly tensed, he knew exactly what she was doing. He had next to perfect posture as he sat, almost regal, in the chair before her. She herself was quite lax despite being previously irritated about the entire endeavor, seeing as he had just waltzed into her office space without a warning notice. All the cards her in her hands so to speak, and she dared to say that the man somehow calmed her mind even though he had not moved his gaze away from her own since he had sat down.

Next to his suit and posture, she noticed his ear-length brown hair was neatly combed yet not gelled. It laid naturally. His eyes were a dark, stormy blue that seemed to be an endless pool of iced coldness. He was, in appearance, the perfect business man. Down to the very letter. She would take it to the grave, but she was impressed. Yet, something seemed off about him. Although, she hadn't a clue to what it might be.

"What can I do for you, Mr...?" she began slowly, making sure to keep her temper in check and the attitude from her voice. Pegasus' letter was still brewing fresh in her mind after all.

"Kaiba," the man answered smoothly in a gruff voice that almost sent a shiver down her spine. "Seto Kaiba."

Her ocean blue eyes flashed with interested amazement that Kaiba barely had time to register before it was hidden by a neutral façade. " _Interesting,"_ he thought. " _It's as if she didn't know who I was."_ Being the leader in the gaming business, he was well known, or that's what he thought at least.

"You probably already know that I am Alistair Dernier since you came here without an invitation," she replied back calmly. It was plainly obvious by the hidden undertone in her voice that she didn't appreciate other CEOs meandering around her territory. In all honesty, he wouldn't want them to be either.

"I do apologize for the sudden appearance. But as fate would have it, I hear that Dernier Corp is having a slight setback in their Gaming Department."

Anger instantly boiled in her blood as the liquid of life rushed about her body. It must have ran through her eyes as well because Kaiba's own eyes narrowed slightly, assessing if it could be a threat. "Yes," she all but growled out. She leaned back into the comfort of her chair, eyes closed lest they release anymore of her emotions to the business man and to help reign in her anger at the topic. "But I can assure you that it's only a _minor_ setback."

Her tone having caught him off-guard, he hid his surprise by leaning back into his chair as well. "I meant no offense to you or your company, Mrs. Dernier."

"Please, I'm not married." Her impatience and annoyance was beginning to show through. However, she could understand why he would think so. Her left hand's ring finger sported a ring. It was simply steel and cobalt twisted together. She pinned him down with a cold and calculated stare.

Moving on to a new topic, she said, "What is it that you've come here for exactly? My time is valuable, Mr. Kaiba." She needed this meeting over with if she wasn't going to bite the man's head off. He was grating on her nerves.

"As is mine," he replied again with a small understanding nod. As she was busy staring his down upon his first entrance to the room, he hadn't failed in noticing the torn sheets of paper that were haphazardly tossed about the room. It seemed like her plans for the Dernier Gaming Department weren't going as well as she would like them to be seen as. He decided on not pressing that particular topic any further. "To get to the point, I came here to ask if you would consider merging our companies together."

"What?" she asked, taken off guard by the question. It wasn't the bluntness or suddenness that had left her mind swirling but the mere idea itself.

"Kaiba and Dernier Corps would make fantastic allies if they were to merge into one company," he continued on. His own patience was growing thinner by the second. It took many hours for him to gather enough to get this far. Alistair Dernier's anger was something everyone feared after the rumors went about on how she got this company. He too was "hot-headed," as his little brother, Mokuba, would always say which was why he built up his patience for this one meeting.

Alistair stood and turned towards the large window that nearly expanded the length and width of the wall. Her mind churned through all the possibilities that would arise from such an action. Kaiba Corp was mainly based on gaming while Dernier Corp was everything but.

They would balance each other out nicely if they could come up with a solid contract that both of them agreed on. She wasn't as flexible as she would like to be with her company, and Kaiba Corp's reputation was astounding when it came down to hard deals. They got them all, and it was slightly intimidating.

Kaiba watched the woman's reflection in the window. She looked as if she were focused on the cityscape before her, but he knew she was going over all the pros and cons with his offer inside her head. His eyes drifted down from her facial features that were soft yet commanded certain authority. She held her shoulders square when she was standing despite being slouched when she sat.

Her hips were curved just right, and he knew that her legs were probably slim and muscular beneath the recently ironed, black dress pants that she wore. He couldn't see the front of her very clearly in the window's reflection, but he's put money on the fact that her chest was probably rounded nicely as well. The loose dark red shirt she wore left many things to the imagination. She folded her hands behind her back before she spoke.

"Yes." The tone in her voice made her response final. "Our companies shall merge into one."

He smirked, showing some of his teeth. " _Looks like this trip was worth it after all,"_ he thought with triumph. Never in the world did he think that meeting her would have gone this cleanly. He picked up his briefcase and was about to give his regards when she interrupted him. He hoped that wasn't going to become a habit, if it wasn't already.

"I'm not done," she continued calmly. It seemed that she had reigned in her temper while mulling things over. She was still facing the window. "This shall be beneficial to the both of us, and if I see that my company is harmed even the tiniest bit because of your influence, I will not hesitate to pull out of the deal. Is that clear?" For the first time in a while, Alistair felt like she was actually being a good business woman and doing her company proud.

"Crystal," Kaiba said without hesitation or remorse as he continued towards the door. Justine was there to open it for him. "I'll come by with a contract ready in a day or so. Be prepared to leave this building for my own." With those words, he left. The dinging of the elevator signaled its arrival and departure.

" _It's for the best,"_ she thought to herself. A couple minutes later, she watched as a black limousine drove out from the parking garage that was directly beneath the building. As Kaiba had been speaking, she had indeed been considering the pros and cons of a company merge. Each company held the aspects that the other lacked in. "It is for the best," she repeated aloud, if only to calm her thinking mind. Then, a thought hit her.

"What's wrong with my building?!"


	2. Chapter 2: Quickly Merging Lives

**Chapter Two: Quickly Merging Lives (1,232 Words)**

 _Alistair had done it! She had finally taken Christena Corporation from her parents. A couple weeks ago, she had set her father up for a common sex scandal that left not only her parent's marriage in ruin, but it sent the company on a downward spiral as well. While her parents and the public were busy with the scandal, she swept the company up and into her grasp. Now, she would never let it go._

 _She twirled around in the chair that she was sitting in with a huge grin on her face. Pay back was indeed sweet. She sighed in happiness as she stopped spinning. Her father's office was well furnished with numerous bookcases and cabinets. "That's going to change soon," she mumbled with a smile. "Run the company to the ground, ha! They got bigger things to worry about now. If only they could see how they squirmed when news broke out!"_

 _Her own words reminded her of something, and she quickly turned the nearby flat screen TV on. Every channel was practically broadcasting the news of her parent's scandal. When a well-known and respected CEO was put in the spotlight, it seemed the entire world turned on their TVs or cell phones or radios to find out what happened._

" _It has been clarified by the court," the female news reporter said from the broadcast. She was standing in front of Domino City Court's welcome sign. "Adrian Christena has been found guilty of rape and abduction of a minor!"_

" _What?!" Alistair screeched suddenly, leaning forward in the chair. Her father's secretary who was sitting outside the office turned and gave her a weird look, but she paid him no mind. She turned the volume up on the TV._

" _Kaitlyn Bulow-Christena has been charged with obstruction of justice! This is completely unbelievable!" the reporter continued. "Christena Corporation is surely going to suffer from this new-"_

 _Alistair didn't hear the rest of the report, as she had clicked the TV off. Rape, abduction, and obstruction. It was true that she had set her father up with a young lady, who said she was twenty-seven, and it was true that she got her father drunk far past the legal limit. However, she never thought that it would escalate to this. Her face held a shocked emotion for a couple moments before turning into a devilish grin. She threw her head back and laughed. This was even better than she had wanted!_

" _Oh God, you are so great!" she yelled up to the sky which was a calm blue outside of the window. The puffy white clouds drifted by as if ignoring her outburst. Then, a thought occurred to her which caused her smile to falter, if only slightly. She would have to fire everyone and change the company name if she expected it to survive._

" _Eh," she mumbled. "Only the name should be a problem."_

Alistair listened intently to Kaiba's conditions for the company merge, as she leaned over her desk. She had already stated hers previously and all was written, or typed in this case, on paper. When he finished, she nodded her head in agreement and put her signature on the paper. "Glad we could come to an agreement, Mr. Kaiba," she said while standing up from her desk. She held out a hand which he shook immediately. His grip was firm.

"Yes, we shall become even greater than we are today," he replied, relieved of this burden at last. Releasing her hand, he continued, "The moving trucks will be here tomorrow to move all the furniture and technology. Will your staff be joining us at Kaiba Corp?"

She laughed softly, knowing he didn't care either way, and her eyes flashed with an emotion that Kaiba couldn't put his finger on. "They want a pay raise, but I'm sure that won't be a problem for either of us."

"No, it certainly won't be," he chuckled dryly. "I expect you all, or what's going to be left of your staff in any case, to be at Kaiba Corp's main building no later than seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

Alistair nodded her head in agreement and showed him out of the building. Watching his limousine pull away from the parking garage, she released a weary sigh. " _Now comes the hard part,"_ she thought dully. Dealing with people had never been one of her strong suits.

She went back up to her office and tapped the intercom button so that she could issue an announcement over the loudspeaker that ran throughout the entire building. She took a deep breath to relax herself before speaking, "Attention all staff! This is your boss, Alistair Dernier, speaking. If you don't already know, we've just signed an agreement with Kaiba Corporation. Pack everything up. The moving trucks will be here tomorrow to transfer everything over. Tomorrow morning I expect everyone to report to Kaiba Corp's main building for work at seven. That would be all."

Just like she expected, everything erupted into chaos shortly after the announcement. Many of her staff called in saying that they would quit if she merged with Kaiba Corp because it would hurt Dernier Corp's reputation. Others said they would call in the 'Board of Directors' if she didn't keep the companies separate. She fired each one on the spot and had security escort them from the building immediately after. She didn't care, and she knew Kaiba didn't care either. There were many other people looking for opportunities, and she would take them all in if she had too.

Besides that, she had fired the Board of Directors upon taking the company over. She only let the staff think that they had one to keep the peace. This contract was going to stick. Damn them all to Hell if they think that they can tell the boss what to do!

Justine turned and looked at her through the glass wall. A small smile was on her lips, and her violet eyes shone with glittering happiness. She gave her boss and huge grin and a thumbs up before returning to her work. Her phone, just like Alistair's, kept ringing. She would pack after she had sent out the apologetic emails to other gaming corporations. They were officially off the market now.

Alistair shook her head at her secretary's antics and leaned back in the chair, suddenly tired. The old thing squeaked as she did so, and she closed her ocean blue eyes to the sound. " _Well,"_ she thought. " _I guess I know what I'm not taking over there."_ She smiled at the thought.

Dernier Corporation was finally going to be back on its feet. It took a while; many people had gotten hired and fired, but she did it. From the happy takeover to the lowest moment in company history, this chair had seen it all. " _A new start with a new chair. I hate to say it, but I'm actually going to miss this."_ She patted the chair's arm as if it were a pet, as she gazed around her very plain office. She didn't know that she would end up keeping the chair.


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting the Crew

**Chapter Three: Meeting the Crew (1,175 Words)**

Alistair stood before Kaiba Corp's main building and reveled in how gigantic it was. She didn't realize just how powerful Kaiba's company was until that very moment. Even when she craned her head all the way back, she still couldn't see the top towers. She tried her best not to be intimidated by the hulking frame of gleaming metal that she stood before.

After she had parked her car down in the parking garage, she found her way towards the front doors. A few loyal employees stood behind her, and she could feel their beady eyes on her back. They were probably more nervous than a mouse staring down a crouched cat in a shadowed, dark alley. She knew they were waiting for her move. She rolled her blue eyes in annoyance before stepping into the main lobby of the building. Justine had just joined them.

Numerous couches were placed against walls with aesthetically appealing tables to the front of sides. Newly grouted cream-coloured tiles lined the floor and only added to the fanciness of the place. She wouldn't have expected any less from Kaiba, the rich bastard. A few receptionists sat chatting behind a large desk. The one to the far right gave Alistair her full attention while the other two became silent, obviously wanting to listen in on their conversation.

"Hello, ma'am," the receptionist greeted with a kind smile. Her nametag read Oshcara. "How can I help you?" Her chestnut hair sat in a stylish bob around her soft face.

"Good morning, Oshcara" Alistair replied, hoping she pronounced it correctly, as she slipped a glance at her watch to check the time. It was seven o'clock exactly. "I'm Alistair Dernier from Dernier Corporation. Mr. Kaiba said to be here at seven."

"Ah, I see," Oshcara replied. Confusion clouded her chocolate brown eyes, but she typed away on her computer nonetheless. The other two receptionists began mumbling, but Alistair could hear the conversation quite clearly.

 **"Alistair Dernier?"**

 **"Ain't that the big company that was going under?"**

 **"I don't know. Why would Seto have ties with her?"**

 **"I bet they're sleeping together."**

At the anger and tone in the one girl's voice, her eyes narrowed in their direction. They either didn't notice or didn't care. She'd bet on the latter, however. Why were they speaking on such familiar terms? Alistair knew for a fact that Kaiba never slept with any of his employees and surely didn't make friends with them. She would be sure to bring this topic to his ears at the appropriate time. No doubt he'd be quite furious, and she had to hold back a chuckle from the thought.

"Ah, here we go," Oshcara finally said after a couple minutes. Her eyes skimmed the screen reading whatever that was on it. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba is currently in a meeting, but I can call down the Department Heads to get your staff integrated with our own."

"That would be lovely," Alistair replied, earning her a sideways glance from Justine. She shrugged her off. "At what time would Mr. Kaiba be done with this meeting?"

"Ten o'clock at least, twelve at most?" Oshcara offered. It seemed she really didn't know. Alistair raised an eyebrow. "The Board of Directors had some serious matters to discuss with Mr. Kaiba as far as I understood, so it might take all day." She covered her mistake of not knowing with that statement and shrugged slightly.

"Brilliant," Alistair bit out bitterly. Her patience was quickly burning out. "Still, if I can get my staff integrated today that would be great."

"Consider it done, Mrs. Dernier," Oshcara replied with another smile.

"Oh, I'm not married," Alistair said, sneaking a peek at her silver and blue ring. Why did everyone think the ring was a signal of marriage? Then the elevator door dinged open, and a group of people, both men and women, stepped out and advanced towards her and her staff. Then, she met Kaiba Corporation's Department Heads.

The first one to introduce himself was a tall young man with chestnut brown hair that came to a point above his forehead. His green eyes seemed to shine under the fluorescent lights. His name was Tristan Taylor, and he was the Head of Internal Affairs. He dressed in a green polo shirt with pressed khaki slacks. His black shoes were shined to perfection.

A blond came up next, and introduced himself as Joey Wheeler, Head of the International Department. He dealt with everything and anything international. He was dressed in a simple brown t-shirt and blue jeans with sneakers. His voice was faintly accented, Brooklyn if she wasn't mistaken, and he wore a huge smile.

A short girl with shoulder-length brown hair held her hand out to be shook which Alistair did quickly. She wore a yellow blouse with a knee-length skirt. Black shoes hid the end of her skin tone appropriate panty hoes. She was Téa Gardner, Head of Public Affairs.

Next, a lightly tanned man swaggered his way up to her. "Duke Devlin, Head of the Gaming Department," he said as he took her hand and gave her knuckles a quick kiss. He had a rather flamboyant attitude. He wore a pair of dice in his ears and calf-high black boots. Skinny black jeans were complemented nicely by a brick red t-shirt with a game logo on it that Alistair didn't recognize.

After she shook hands with another couple people, she gave her staff leave to join the Department Heads in the elevator. They nodded their heads at her before the door closed, and the beep sounded, signaling they were climbing the many floors the building had.

"That was most of them," Oshcara said softly. She stared at the elevator doors quietly, as if wishing one of the men would return. "The other two are brothers that are basically Mr. Kaiba's left and right hands." She finally returned her attention back to Alistair and Justine, who stood beside her quietly watching and listening. "Yuugi and Yami Motou should be attending the meeting with Mr. Kaiba at the moment."

The names rang a bell in Alistair's head, but she didn't know from where. _"Probably a newscast,"_ she thought. "Well, I'm sure that I'll meet them both soon enough," Alistair offered to the conversation.

"Yes," was Oshcara's only reply. She sat awkwardly behind her computer.

Alistair suddenly pitied the poor girl. She didn't know what to do with them since her boss was in a meeting. "Justine and I are going out for breakfast," Alistair said, giving the girl a breather. "Do send me a message if Mr. Kaiba get out of the meeting before we return."

Oshcara looked relieved, so it seemed Alistair's assumption was correct. "Yes, ma'am."

"Please, Miss Alistair will do fine."


	4. Chapter 4: The First Day

**Hello people who read my fanfics~! Sorry that I haven't been updating as much as I probably should be. I really don't have any other excuses other than my ever-increasing laziness. This chapter is rather short, but I plan on writing most, if not all, of the next chapter after posting this one. Until the next chapter, chao~!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: The First Day (867 Words)**

Alistair and Justine sat across from each other at the infamous Burger World. They had just ordered their food and were currently waiting on it patiently. Alistair was resting her head on her hand as she stared out the window at the nearby park. Her mind was comfortably silent as no thoughts buzzed around.

Justine, on the other hand, was tapping her heeled foot against the tiled floor. Her neatly trimmed fingers drummed endlessly against the wooden table. She was creating so much noise that Alistair couldn't think even if she wanted to.

"What's wrong, Justine? You never fidget like that," Alistair asked pointedly. She watched her secretary stiffen from the corner of her eye. The tapping and drumming ceased.

"Sorry, Miss Dernier. It's just those girls at the reception counter at Kaiba Corp. They were talking very rudely about not only Mr. Kaiba but you as well." Her dark eyes gleamed with anger, and she squeezed her fists together. "That kind of behavior should not be tolerated!"

"It won't be, let me assure you. I plan to report them both to Kaiba as soon as I see him again."

"Good," Justine said. All other conversation was dulled as their food was served.

* * *

Kaiba stepped from the conference room he had been in all day. Yami and Yuugi trailed behind him holding clipboards full of notes and other papers. The men they were meeting with had left a few minutes prior. "I'm so glad that's finally over, eh Yami?" Yuugi asked his older brother as the three of them stepped into the elevator.

"Indeed, little one. I thought those men would never shut up." The two laughed as Kaiba sighed in irritation. He could only put up with so much of both cousin's antics before his temper went lose. Unfortunately, the meeting destroyed nearly all of it.

"Just remember to organize all those files by tomorrow morning," Kaiba snapped gruffly as the elevator finally opened to the ground floor. The lights had been shut off, leaving only the ones used for emergency lighting on. A lamp was on at the reception desk where Oshcara was nodding in and out of consciousness.

"Hey, Oshcara," Yuugi prodded the woman's arm. She woke with a start, babbling about how 'Mr. Kaiba was in a meeting and can't see you right now,' before realizing who had woken her up.

"Oh! Hello, Yuugi," she smiled sweetly at the man as if she hadn't been asleep in the first place. She turned her attention to Kaiba who was currently making a beeline towards the front doors. "Mr. Kaiba," she called.

He turned around to glare at her. "What is it?"

Without losing a beat, Oshcara answered, "Miss Alistair came by this morning with her remaining staff. She said something about meeting you here. Since you were busy, I told her I'd call her when you got done with the meeting and set her staff up with our Department Heads."

"Good job," he replied back after a minute before resuming his walk towards the door. "Forget about calling her, I'll do it myself."

"Yes sir!" When the door shut quietly, Oshcara turned her attention back to Yuugi. "I hope you have a good night."

"You too, Oshcara," he replied with a wave and smile before following Yami out the door to the underground parking garage. He didn't hear Oshcara's sigh of contentment.

"Do you have a crush, little one?" Yami asked from beside his brother. A smirk was plastered on his face.

"N-No," Yuugi stuttered nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

"Of course you don't," Yami replied sarcastically.

"S-Shut up!"

* * *

Kaiba slid into the limousine and told the driver, trusty 'ol Roland, to take him home. As the limo pulled into traffic, Kaiba pulled out his phone and dialed Alistair. Only after two rings, her clear voice came from the other end of the line.

" _Hello?"_

"Yes, Miss Dernier. This is Seto Kaiba calling from Kaiba Corp."

" _Ah, yes. How did the meeting go? I presume well?"_

"You would presume correct. I heard you came by the office today. Oshcara took care of everything as far as I'm aware?"

" _Yes, she performed perfectly. She introduced my remaining staff to your Department Heads, and since I haven't heard any complaints, I'm going to guess everything has gone well."_

"Good," he replied. Out the window, he saw the Kaiba Mansion come into view. "You will be at Kaiba Corp at seven o'clock tomorrow morning as well." He pressed the end button and the call shut off.

Alistair wasn't put out by the abrupt end, but she thought that the guy could have more tact.


	5. Chapter 5: Dinner Proposal

**Chapter 5: Dinner Proposal (2,006 Words)**

The front doors to Kaiba Corp's main building opened automatically as Alistair walked through them. It was just another thing about the place that she liked. A smirk graced her lips at the thought and soon turned into a small smile upon seeing Oshcara sitting behind the reception desk. The other two receptionists weren't there yet.

"Good morning, Miss Alistair," Oshcara replied sweetly. Positive energy seemed to be beaming from the girl this morning, and Alistair would be lying if she said she wasn't curious.

"And to you, Oshcara. What's got you in such a good mood today?" she replied, coming to a stop in front of the desk. She still had a good six minutes until she had to meet with Kaiba at seven.

Oshcara hummed at the question as if the mere thought of the answer gave her immense joy. "Well, I saw a certain someone last night and…" She trailed off softly, and Alistair figured she was reliving the moment in her head. "He's so handsome," she said after an awkward moment on Alistair's part.

She didn't bother asking who Oshcara was talking about and said instead, "I wish you luck with him." Then, she quickly walked to the elevator just as it open, not wanting to be late. Oshcara gave a slight wave before going back to her thoughts. A smile was plastered onto the girl's face. Alistair chuckled and shook her head at the girl's antics. She would have to find out the boy's name. Oshcara was obviously infatuated with whoever it was.

The doors closed, and Alistair noticed that the elevator didn't play that dreadful music most were known for. She silently added it to her list of 'why I like this building more than my own' before pressing the button for the top floor. Floor after floor past until she finally reached the one she wanted. Stepping off the elevator, she glanced around the well furnished room.

A pair of glass top metal framed desks sat across from each other before a large door that she suspected was Kaiba's office. Behind each desk sat two men who could've passed for twins. The one to the right was obviously shorter than the other with paler skin and innocent, lavender eyes. His hair was nearly the same except for the odd lightning-shaped bangs that hung in his face.

The one to the left wasn't as pale at the other and had to be a few years older. His dark violet eyes were more squared and the eyeliner, or guyliner as she liked to call it, looked exceptionally good on him. His bangs shot upward with his star-shaped hair. He didn't look up from the book he was reading as she approached. However, his twin looked up from the computer he was slowly typing on.

"Hello," he said. "I'm Yuugi Motou. You must be Alistair Dernier, right? Kaiba is expecting you."

Alistair glanced at her watch and grimaced when she realized that she was two minutes late. She shouldn't have stopped and talked with Oshcara. Returning her attention back to Yuugi, whose name she recognized from Oshcara's introductions of the staff yesterday, she smiled softly. She figured that the other man must have been Yami Motou based off his similar appearance to Yuugi. "Yes, I'll have to apologize for being late."

"Oh, please don't bother with it," Yuugi replied sweetly with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You were put off yesterday with our meeting, so feel free to rub it in his face should he mention your lateness."

"Sure thing," she replied. She was silently glad that he was so casual with Kaiba's name but also found it strange. She figured Kaiba would flip out if he heard how Yuugi was talking now. _They must know each other really well,_ she thought.

"Well, I'm not going to keep you any longer." He pressed a button and a voice sounded from the other end. Kaiba's voice.

"What?" he snapped harshly, obviously in a bad mood. Alistair could only wonder if the man ever stopped frowning.

Yuugi simply chuckled, not at all offended by his tone. "Miss Dernier is here," he replied smoothly.

A second passed. "Send her in."

Yuugi released the button and gave her another smile. "Try not to push his temper too much until the caffeine kicks in at nine."

"Noted," she stated gratefully and walked forward to open the door. She didn't feel Yami's dark violet eyes on her back as she stepped through the door and closed it.

The office was dim. The only light source was the light streaming in through the curtained windows. It resembled her old one back in her old building. An elegant wood desk sat before two leather chairs. Kaiba himself sat in a rather comfy looking black chair behind the desk. Papers and three computers were scattered haphazardly across the surface. A leather couch sat before an entertainment center that consisted of a flat screen TV and the latest gaming consoles. She thought it was curious he would have those in here. She didn't think Kaiba would play at work. He didn't seem to be the type.

"Morning," she offered softly, for once taking the advice of not pressing his patience.

"You're late," he stated simply. He didn't even look up from the computer he was typing on as he spoke. His fingers skillfully flew over the keyboard, and she silently wondered what he was doing.

"I got caught up at the front desk. I promise it won't become a habit." She had to hold back the remarks that came into her head and settled for a nearly unnoticeable smirk. He didn't respond but switched to another computer, continuing to type. "Y'know," she began slowly. "You really should organize your desk more."

"Have a seat," he growled, effectively ignoring her comment on his tidiness. She did and crossed her legs, feining patience.

 _Well,_ Alistair thought sarcastically, _This isn't awkward at all._ She considered walking out of the office right then but quickly shot it down. She'd kill anyone who did that to her and didn't doubt Kaiba would do the same. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she struggled to hide a grin. She might be able to rile him up indirectly.

"Yesterday morning while Oshcara was helping me and my staff, the two other receptionists were being quite rude." Her lips twitched upward as his fingers faltered slightly. She continued, raising her tone to mock their high voices, effectively sounding very girly, "They were saying things like 'I bet Seto and that Dernier woman are having sex' and 'I don't know what he sees in her. _My_ Seto only loves me'."

He was now staring at her and had stopped typing completely. His stormy blue eyes bore into her gleaming ones, and she felt something flutter within her stomach. Without releasing her gaze, he pressed a button she assumed was for the intercom connected to the desks outside. The door opened a few seconds later, and Yami walked in to stand in front of the desk. She would of thought it was Yuugi if not for his height.

"What is it, Kaiba?" he asked gruffly. He was obviously peeved at being torn away from his book. Alistair almost felt bad for the guy.

"Fire Ashley and Rhonda."

"The two receptionists? What for?"

"Insubordination. No one talks about me like that and gets away with it." There was venom in his voice, and she was glad she could piss him off without taking the heat for it.

"Alright, but you know I'll want to know why later, cousin," Yami replied, almost in a scolding tone, after a moment. Alistair raised an eyebrow when Yami called Kaiba his cousin. That would explain why Yuugi was so familiar with him. He turned and left, prepared to make the long ride down to the ground floor and carry out his task.

Upon the door closing, Kaiba spoke, "Why didn't you tell me this last night when we spoke?"

"It didn't feel right to just drop that on you," she replied sincerely, leaning back into the chair.

"And now was the perfect time?" He scowled at her and resumed typing on one of his computers. His gaze was fixed onto the screen, and she realized that she missed his cold stare. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"My tact is just as bad as yours." Her reply was simple and unarmed, not meant to anger him further.

"So I've heard." A couple of tense, silent minutes passed before he spoke again. "Mind telling me what your Gaming Department was doing before you fired them all." It wasn't much of a question but more of a command that she hesitantly obliged.

"They were working on the coding for this new virtual game they had come up with a few months back."

"And since they were all fired I presume it was crappy work?"

"You'd presume correct," she said with a nod of her head. "So, when am I going-" She was cut off by a startled yelp that sounded from outside the office door that had just been slammed open.

"Seto!" cried a child's voice from the doorway. Footsteps pounded across the carpet and around the desk. A mass of black hair shot passed her and leapt onto Kaiba who caught, what she assumed was a child, with practiced ease.

"Mokuba," Kaiba began in a scolding manner. "What have I told you about barging in here unannounced when I have company?"

Yuugi suddenly ran into the office. "Oh!" He sounded out of breath. "There you are Mokie. You need to slow down for Uncle Yuuyu, okay?" A smile was spread across his face despite his words, and his lavender eyes shone with excitement.

Yami came up behind his brother and patted his shoulder. "He outrun you again, little one?" he asked, already knowing the answer if his smirk was anything to go by.

Everyone's attention was brought back to Mokuba when he suddenly said to Alistair, "You're pretty." Time seemed to slow as her brain processed what the child, who was now comfortably sitting in a disgruntled Kaiba's lap, said.

"Thanks?" she offered slowly, unsure what to say much less do. Mokuba didn't miss a beat and beamed at her with the cutest smile.

"You're welcome. Say, ya wanna' come to dinner tonight?"

She heard laughter from behind her as both Yuugi and Yami tried to stop laughing. Kaiba's look of shock at what the child said was most likely the cause of it, and she would be laughing too if she herself wasn't just as shocked.

Alistair recovered quickly, and shook her head. "I'm afraid I couldn't be a bother."

"No way," Mokuba continued, "You'll be our welcomed guest tonight, right brother?" All eyes turned towards Kaiba who was currently having a staring contest with the child. Alistair knew the two had to be related somehow, and now she knew in what form. They certainly didn't look like brothers, but she would never question it aloud. A couple seconds later, Kaiba sighed softly in defeat at his brother's pleading eyes.

"Fine," he growled and winced when Mokuba shouted in joy. His ears would be ringing for the rest of the day, and he reluctantly returned the hug Mokuba was giving him nonetheless. He didn't miss the amused look in Alistair's eyes, the way Yami was watching her, or Yuugi's shit-eating grin. If only he could last until dinner without killing someone. He knew today was going to be very long, and it wasn't even nine o'clock yet.


End file.
